(BEREA, Kentucky) - At some point, every team goes through a rebuilding year. It’s rare, though, to see a team have to rebuild an entire program.
Madison Southern High School in Berea, Kentucky is starting at square one and the poster for Friday night’s scrimmage and dedication ceremony says it all.
“New coach. New field. New helmet. New uniforms. New attitude. New beginning.”
“This program looked just like our field did before,” said new head coach Jon Clark. “It was tattered and torn.”
At the end of last season, the football team had 25 kids. In four seasons, the team had won 3 games. The school board decided to make a number of improvements, including hiring a new coach. The team now has around 80 players.
“We’ve changed it from the ground up,” said Clark.
The change at the ground level came with the addition of the recently completed AstroTurf® field.
“This has been a great project,” said AstroTurf President Bryan Peeples. “It’s always exciting to watch the transformation of a new AstroTurf field and it’s exciting to watch the transformation in this program and the newfound pride that goes along with it.”
Principal David Gilliam said the school chose AstroTurf because of aesthetic appeal, ease of maintenance, and increased field availability. Gilliam said the addition of the AstroTurf has gone beyond their original goals.
“This is the whole package,” he said. “The whole town is buzzing. People have been driving by to watch and to stop and take pictures. Everywhere I go people ask me about the AstroTurf.”
“This is a town of 14,000 people,” said Clark. “So, it’s a big deal.”
Gilliam says the students are excited, the players are excited, and the band is as excited as anyone. They will now be able to practice on the field and host competitions. It’s a win-win for everyone.
The new winning attitude began earlier this year. Clark arrived in February and brought an all new coaching staff. He started with about 30 kids and implemented a 6:30 a.m. workout program. Clark has also implemented a program emphasizing character development and leadership. He has started a study hall and players know that if they don’t make the grades they don’t practice or play.
Students have responded to Clark’s leadership and the team wound up with so many players that the school had to buy new equipment.
Under Armour sponsored the team’s new uniforms and they got new helmets, as well. Through dedicated boosters, they have raised money to help improve the facilities, with the most visible symbol of the changes taking place being the new AstroTurf field.
AstroTurf is no stranger to making big changes.
The company invented the synthetic turf industry in 1965 and installed the first field in the Houston Astrodome in 1966. The company continues to change the synthetic turf industry and the world of sports by developing the most technologically advanced playing surfaces in the world. AstroTurf offers fields that play more like natural grass than any other surface and are safe for athletes.
AstroTurf has invested millions of dollars into research programs to create safer and better performing fields. They funded the Center for Athletic Field Safety at the University of Tennessee, which opened in July.
Recent installations of AstroTurf surfaces include practice fields at the University of Tennessee, Auburn University, and the University of Georgia. Kansas State University will play its football games on AstroTurf this fall.
AstroTurf is the Official Synthetic Turf of Major League Baseball and is in use by the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays. Collegiately, recent AstroTurf installations for baseball include Ohio State University, Duke University, Wake Forest University, the University of Kansas, and Kansas State University.
Madison Southern is among the newest AstroTurf installations and hopes to establish a tradition of excellence on the new field. The past is in the rearview mirror.
“It’s a new start,” said Clark. We’re 0-0 on this field.”
The new playing field will see its first action on Friday night as the Eagles participate in a preseason scrimmage. The field will be dedicated in a celebration that will involve thousands of people and will include the U.S. Army parachuting the game ball in the stadium from 10,000 feet.
The first regular season game will be at home versus Bourbon County on August 26th.
About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s first vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf® include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and AstroFlect™ Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.
Friday, August 19, 2011
CARDINAL GIBBONS HIGH SCHOOL ASTROTURF® SET TO DEBUT
(RALEIGH, NC) - Three years after completion of stadium upgrades at Cardinal Gibbons High School, officials decided to install a new, state-of-the-art AstroTurf® field, which is making its debut this football season.
That’s not a minute too soon for Principal Jason Curtis.
“We have 1,200 students at Cardinal Gibbons and 800 are involved in athletics,” said Curtis. “We’ve been blessed with great student athletes and great programs. The new AstroTurf field will allow us to do so many things.”
Cardinal Gibbons teams have begun a return to prominence in recent years and that has sparked resurgence in interest and participation. The school is over 100 years old, but was the first integrated high school in the state of North Carolina. It became a challenge because many teams refused to play them. It was a sad situation that took years to overcome and the athletic program suffered, as well.
Cardinal Gibbons officials had been talking about the possibilities of synthetic turf for several years, but as participation increased, so did the need for practice space and time.
“Our grass was taking a beating,” said Curtis. “We also faced weather delays and cancellations.”
The new grass, though, is AstroTurf® GameDay Grass™ 3D52H, and will be able to provide Cardinal Gibbons with more field availability and fewer worries about the weather.
Curtis said they chose AstroTurf because of the positive relationship, the company history, and the fact that the company stands behind the product.
“We’re proud to partner with Cardinal Gibbons for this tremendous project,” said AstroTurf President Bryan Peeples. “It’s exciting to be able to work a school with such a proud tradition and such awesome growth prospects for the future. We are looking forward to many W’s in the Cardinal Gibbons win column.”
The field will feature the revolutionary new Horseshoe™ fiber. This new fiber is enjoying unprecedented success in the sports field marketplace, due to factors such as its unique shape. The fiber is an “Omega” shape with two end columns with a thicker diameter. The design imparts mechanical memory so that the fiber remains upright longer, unlike other fields whose fibers quickly flatten and split or shred at the spine. The Horseshoe™ fiber continues to spring back to its original configuration, even after years of heavy foot traffic or exposure to ultra-violet radiation.
The field also has a face weight of 52 ounces of fiber per square yard, one of the highest in the industry. This adds to the durability provided by the fiber shape.
In extensive testing, the Horseshoe® fiber performs most like natural grass from ball roll, to slide
resistance, to the biomechanical function of cleats penetrating and releasing properly. A study at Michigan State University, funded by NFL Charities, found that AstroTurf® GameDay Grass™ systems looked and performed more like natural grass than any other synthetic product measured, also making it the safest option.
The Horseshoe fiber’s shape also allows it to reflect light and heat away from the surface. That, in combination with AstroFlect™ heat reduction technology, can lower surface temperatures by as much as 18%.
The Horseshoe™ fiber was introduced in 2010 and is already in use on practice fields at schools such as Stanford and the University of Tennessee; baseball game fields for the Tampa Bay Rays, Ohio State University, Wake Forest, Duke; and numerous high school and college football fields around the country, including Kansas State University.
The field will also have a nylon RootZone™, a thatch layer which holds sand and rubber infill in place for less splash and migration, making for a more consistent playing surface.
According to Curtis, having a technologically advanced field such as this will help the teams get better because they will have more opportunities to practice. He also says more kids will want to participate.
“Not only are our students and parents excited,” said Curtis. “But, we have several elementary and middle schools from which we draw our students and those kids are excited, too.”
The new field will begin hosting events next Thursday, August 18, as Cardinal Gibbons takes on Panther Creek. The game will start with a “Blessing of the Field” and a “First Run”, in which students 8th grade and below will get to run the length of the field and receive a commemorative t-shirt.
The following night, the Crusaders will attempt to capitalize on an impressive 11-3 mark in football as they kickoff the new season under new head coach Steven Wright against Clayton.
About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s first vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf® include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and AstroFlect™ Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.
That’s not a minute too soon for Principal Jason Curtis.
“We have 1,200 students at Cardinal Gibbons and 800 are involved in athletics,” said Curtis. “We’ve been blessed with great student athletes and great programs. The new AstroTurf field will allow us to do so many things.”
Cardinal Gibbons teams have begun a return to prominence in recent years and that has sparked resurgence in interest and participation. The school is over 100 years old, but was the first integrated high school in the state of North Carolina. It became a challenge because many teams refused to play them. It was a sad situation that took years to overcome and the athletic program suffered, as well.
Cardinal Gibbons officials had been talking about the possibilities of synthetic turf for several years, but as participation increased, so did the need for practice space and time.
“Our grass was taking a beating,” said Curtis. “We also faced weather delays and cancellations.”
The new grass, though, is AstroTurf® GameDay Grass™ 3D52H, and will be able to provide Cardinal Gibbons with more field availability and fewer worries about the weather.
Curtis said they chose AstroTurf because of the positive relationship, the company history, and the fact that the company stands behind the product.
“We’re proud to partner with Cardinal Gibbons for this tremendous project,” said AstroTurf President Bryan Peeples. “It’s exciting to be able to work a school with such a proud tradition and such awesome growth prospects for the future. We are looking forward to many W’s in the Cardinal Gibbons win column.”
The field will feature the revolutionary new Horseshoe™ fiber. This new fiber is enjoying unprecedented success in the sports field marketplace, due to factors such as its unique shape. The fiber is an “Omega” shape with two end columns with a thicker diameter. The design imparts mechanical memory so that the fiber remains upright longer, unlike other fields whose fibers quickly flatten and split or shred at the spine. The Horseshoe™ fiber continues to spring back to its original configuration, even after years of heavy foot traffic or exposure to ultra-violet radiation.
The field also has a face weight of 52 ounces of fiber per square yard, one of the highest in the industry. This adds to the durability provided by the fiber shape.
In extensive testing, the Horseshoe® fiber performs most like natural grass from ball roll, to slide
resistance, to the biomechanical function of cleats penetrating and releasing properly. A study at Michigan State University, funded by NFL Charities, found that AstroTurf® GameDay Grass™ systems looked and performed more like natural grass than any other synthetic product measured, also making it the safest option.
The Horseshoe fiber’s shape also allows it to reflect light and heat away from the surface. That, in combination with AstroFlect™ heat reduction technology, can lower surface temperatures by as much as 18%.
The Horseshoe™ fiber was introduced in 2010 and is already in use on practice fields at schools such as Stanford and the University of Tennessee; baseball game fields for the Tampa Bay Rays, Ohio State University, Wake Forest, Duke; and numerous high school and college football fields around the country, including Kansas State University.
The field will also have a nylon RootZone™, a thatch layer which holds sand and rubber infill in place for less splash and migration, making for a more consistent playing surface.
According to Curtis, having a technologically advanced field such as this will help the teams get better because they will have more opportunities to practice. He also says more kids will want to participate.
“Not only are our students and parents excited,” said Curtis. “But, we have several elementary and middle schools from which we draw our students and those kids are excited, too.”
The new field will begin hosting events next Thursday, August 18, as Cardinal Gibbons takes on Panther Creek. The game will start with a “Blessing of the Field” and a “First Run”, in which students 8th grade and below will get to run the length of the field and receive a commemorative t-shirt.
The following night, the Crusaders will attempt to capitalize on an impressive 11-3 mark in football as they kickoff the new season under new head coach Steven Wright against Clayton.
About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s first vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf® include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and AstroFlect™ Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
PETE’S POOL FIELD AT ENUMCLAW NEARING COMPLETION OF ASTROTURF® UPGRADE
(ENUMCLAW, Washington) - When a team is forced to play its homecoming game as a road game, you can almost bet there is a problem with the field.
That’s a pretty safe bet if you’re Enumclaw High School and the field is Pete’s Pool at the Enumclaw Expo Center.
The solution is nearing completion and it is coming in the form of an AstroTurf® field. The project has been guided by Erik Sweet of SLA Landscape Architecture in Renton.
For many Enumclaw residents, the upgrade is long overdue and will allow area athletes to play on a first-class field. Until now, the field was in no better condition than the dormant landfill which once occupied the land the field was built on.
Pete’s Pool was named after Pete Chorak, who owned a tavern/motel near the site of the field. The field was constructed by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
The main use of the field was for the games of the Enumclaw Silver Barons, a semi-pro team made up of area loggers and farmers.
In the early 1990s, while the facility was still owned by King County, Rick Bathum and Sheldon Thiel formed the YEAS (Your Enumclaw Area Stadium) Improvement committee to push for needed improvements.
After the improvements were made, the group was dissolved, but was reformed in 2009, because of the condition of the field and other needed facility repairs and upgrades.
Since that time, the usage of the stadium has skyrocketed. Prior to the reformation of the YEAS group, the field hosted about five games per week. Then the field began seeing usage from Green River Community College for games and practice, as well as from area youth sports organizations. The total number of games jumped to nearly 50 games per week, not counting the hours of practice that occurred on a daily basis.
All the play, combined with the wet weather of the Pacific Northwest, the poor drainage of the field, and the high crown of the field, created a perfect storm of sorts.
In 2010, Enumclaw High School played its final two home games in Orting, in Pierce County. Over 90 years, the team had never played a home game outside of Enumclaw, and in one season they missed two, including homecoming.
“Enumclaw is a very proud and independent community,” said Rick Bathum, one of the co-founders of YEAS. “To this community, it affords a belated sense of progress. It presents an opportunity for all existing athletic programs to have a reliable place to compete.”
According the Bathum, this move will allow all games played there to be decided on the field and not by the field.
This means Enumclaw will no longer be the only high school in King County that does not play its games on a synthetic turf field.
In fact, King County holds a special place in the history of synthetic turf. AstroTurf was installed in the Astrodome in Houston in 1966, giving birth to artificial playing surfaces. In 1967, Seattle’s Memorial Stadium became the third installation and the first field used by high school teams. That field was removable and lay over an asphalt base. Following football season each year, the AstroTurf was removed and the asphalt was used for parking.
The new Enumclaw field will be AstroTurf MT 42H, featuring the revolutionary new Horseshoe fiber.
This new fiber is enjoying unprecedented success in the sports field marketplace, due to factors such as its unique shape. The fiber is an “Omega” shape with two end columns with a thicker diameter. The design imparts mechanical memory so that the fiber remains upright longer, unlike other fields whose fibers quickly flatten and split or shred at the spine. The Horseshoe fiber continues to spring back to its original configuration, even after years of heavy foot traffic or exposure to ultra-violet radiation.
“We’re excited about the new field at Enumclaw,” said AstroTurf President Bryan Peeples. “This is going to be a great source of pride for the community and a tremendous boost to athletic programs at all age levels.”
Support for the new field has been widespread, thanks to the efforts of YEAS. Individual donations have ranged from $5-$10,000. The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe donated $15,000 and Mutual of Enumclaw donated $50,000.
The organization has also raised significant grant money, including $200,000 from the NFL and the Seattle Seahawks, as well as a $300,000 from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.
Installation will be complete in time for football season and the first game will be the Enumclaw Hornets vs. the Yelm Tornadoes.
About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s first vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf® include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and AstroFlect™ Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.
That’s a pretty safe bet if you’re Enumclaw High School and the field is Pete’s Pool at the Enumclaw Expo Center.
The solution is nearing completion and it is coming in the form of an AstroTurf® field. The project has been guided by Erik Sweet of SLA Landscape Architecture in Renton.
For many Enumclaw residents, the upgrade is long overdue and will allow area athletes to play on a first-class field. Until now, the field was in no better condition than the dormant landfill which once occupied the land the field was built on.
Pete’s Pool was named after Pete Chorak, who owned a tavern/motel near the site of the field. The field was constructed by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
The main use of the field was for the games of the Enumclaw Silver Barons, a semi-pro team made up of area loggers and farmers.
In the early 1990s, while the facility was still owned by King County, Rick Bathum and Sheldon Thiel formed the YEAS (Your Enumclaw Area Stadium) Improvement committee to push for needed improvements.
After the improvements were made, the group was dissolved, but was reformed in 2009, because of the condition of the field and other needed facility repairs and upgrades.
Since that time, the usage of the stadium has skyrocketed. Prior to the reformation of the YEAS group, the field hosted about five games per week. Then the field began seeing usage from Green River Community College for games and practice, as well as from area youth sports organizations. The total number of games jumped to nearly 50 games per week, not counting the hours of practice that occurred on a daily basis.
All the play, combined with the wet weather of the Pacific Northwest, the poor drainage of the field, and the high crown of the field, created a perfect storm of sorts.
In 2010, Enumclaw High School played its final two home games in Orting, in Pierce County. Over 90 years, the team had never played a home game outside of Enumclaw, and in one season they missed two, including homecoming.
“Enumclaw is a very proud and independent community,” said Rick Bathum, one of the co-founders of YEAS. “To this community, it affords a belated sense of progress. It presents an opportunity for all existing athletic programs to have a reliable place to compete.”
According the Bathum, this move will allow all games played there to be decided on the field and not by the field.
This means Enumclaw will no longer be the only high school in King County that does not play its games on a synthetic turf field.
In fact, King County holds a special place in the history of synthetic turf. AstroTurf was installed in the Astrodome in Houston in 1966, giving birth to artificial playing surfaces. In 1967, Seattle’s Memorial Stadium became the third installation and the first field used by high school teams. That field was removable and lay over an asphalt base. Following football season each year, the AstroTurf was removed and the asphalt was used for parking.
The new Enumclaw field will be AstroTurf MT 42H, featuring the revolutionary new Horseshoe fiber.
This new fiber is enjoying unprecedented success in the sports field marketplace, due to factors such as its unique shape. The fiber is an “Omega” shape with two end columns with a thicker diameter. The design imparts mechanical memory so that the fiber remains upright longer, unlike other fields whose fibers quickly flatten and split or shred at the spine. The Horseshoe fiber continues to spring back to its original configuration, even after years of heavy foot traffic or exposure to ultra-violet radiation.
“We’re excited about the new field at Enumclaw,” said AstroTurf President Bryan Peeples. “This is going to be a great source of pride for the community and a tremendous boost to athletic programs at all age levels.”
Support for the new field has been widespread, thanks to the efforts of YEAS. Individual donations have ranged from $5-$10,000. The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe donated $15,000 and Mutual of Enumclaw donated $50,000.
The organization has also raised significant grant money, including $200,000 from the NFL and the Seattle Seahawks, as well as a $300,000 from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office.
Installation will be complete in time for football season and the first game will be the Enumclaw Hornets vs. the Yelm Tornadoes.
About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s first vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf® include GameDay Grass™ 3D with RootZone®, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and AstroFlect™ Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.
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